Library Tip #1 - Plagiarism

Let us show you how the NFCC Library can help you ace your research papers and avoid plagiarism. The NFCC Catalog defines plagiarism as: when a student presents the work, writing or an idea of another as if it were original to the student. Whenever a student presents written or oral work for credit which includes words, data or ideas of others credit must be given by supplying appropriate references and/or citations. The specifics of this may vary depending upon the specific academic discipline, but it is proper academic practice in every field of study to give credit to source materials and persons.

To prevent plagiarism when writing essays and research papers, you must tell your reader where you found your information. You must document information that is paraphrased or information that is presented as a direct quote. Documenting your sources is also called citing sources. There are specific rules and formats to be used. The most common style used at NFCC is MLA Format. Stay tuned for our next post which discusses the penalties for plagiarism at NFCC.